When Your Pain Becomes Mine

"Oh, no, listen to me until the end. It's impossible to stay with her 24 hours a day. So if we put her in one of our vacant offices, then you can see her right beside you as much as you want while you're at work. What do you think?"

Gyeonhui's face contorted as he thought for a moment.

"... Why should I do that?"

"We don't have any choice here. You need this to protect yourself."

At one point, Gyeonhui looked at Ojae, and he turned his head as if he were displeased about the idea, but his plan began to make sense.

"Hah"

"If you mind telling her, then you have to stay still. I'll talk to her."

After a moment of thought, Gyeonhui slowly started speaking with a grimace.

"I'm done with all this. Don't do it."

"Hey, but this is the best way we can think of."

"I said, don't do it. I've made myself clear."

In his cold tone of voice, Ojae kept his mouth shut, with nothing more to say. Meanwhile, Gyeonhui's car pulled into the parking lot.

***

"I didn't know a place like this existed?"

The gorgeous atmosphere of the restaurant continued to astonish Sun.

The view inside was luxurious, with walls made out of glass to the latest trendy design.

The difference from other restaurants was that most customers here were with their pets.

Eunwoo nodded with a smile as if he were familiar with the environment.

"We have tens of millions of families who have pets in our country now. People will get more used to doing this in the future."

"Tens of millions? Wow…"

Sun repeated to herself under her breath the words that Eunwoo said.

She knew that a lot of people were raising puppies these days, but she didn't realize how popular it was.

"Of course, it's still questionable whether the animals were just a pet for them or family."

"Is there a difference?" Sun asked, curiously.

"Yes, a pet is something dependent on me, but treating a dog like a family is all about growing older with them."

Sun thought for a moment about what Eunwoo said.

"... I don't think it's just for dogs."

Eunwoo raised his eyes and looked at her.

"People also do this too. People want to put someone next to themselves because they need them. It's sporadic to find a relationship that thinks about growing old in life together."

Sun's voice contained a bitter pain.

"In that sense, Labong is more like the companion dog for you. I think that's what Labong thinks too."

Eunwoo looked at Labong, who was l.i.c.k.i.n.g the soup by the table.

"... I just really grateful that he sees me like family."

Labong seemed to feel at ease once he saw her. He put his head back in the soup.

Eunwoo imprinted her smile in his eyes silently.

"Now, give me your hand. Right. Hands on me."

Then they saw a couple training their dog at a table on the opposite side.

Their dog seemed tame and responded quickly to the owner's instructions.

"Bang! Wow, you're so cute!"

The couple enjoyed watching the dog pretending to be shot.

When Sun's gaze was fixed on them, Eunwoo started to speak.

"If we know some simple ways to train him, Labong can do that too."

"I want Labong to live the way he wants; he shouldn't have to live his life as someone directs."

Sun nodded slowly, reflecting on her own words.

"I just want him to be happy."

Eunwoo smiled and nodded slowly while listening to her.

"Labong is such a lucky dog. He has met a good owner. I mean, a good family."

Eunwoo gently stroked Labong's head and looked up again.

"I feel really good today, so I'll buy you dessert. I know a café with a great atmosphere."

"No, I'm buying today...."

"It's on me. You can buy me dinner later some other time."

His smile made her feel comfortable, and she had a smile on her face.

***

In a Luxurious Japanese restaurant.

After opening the door and entering, Gyeonhui glowered.

Mrs. Shin and Chaekyeonhg were smiling and sitting in the room.

"Gyeonhui!"

She waved her hand and cried his name, cheerfully.

"You're late."

Mrs. Shin's voice was calm, but it was enough to convey her disappointment in him.

"An appointment with such short notice, it's not easy for me to keep up with my busy schedule."

He blamed Mrs. Shin.

"Then you should have asked for patience and postponed the appointment. Isn't it the basics of doing business?"

"You're not the one that I can ask for understanding. You're too stubborn."

"Well, then you've already failed to be my business partner. He didn't persuade me nor make me give in."

Mrs. Shin said in a cold, sinking tone.

He also looked at Mrs. Shin with cold eyes and started to speak.

"You're the same as the vice president. You didn't persuade me nor give in to me."

They spoke with a smile, but the tension in their words guided the conversation.

"It's been a long time since we've all been together. Why don't we just enjoy dinner with a smile? Gyeonhui? Mrs. Shin? Please?"

Looking at the pleasant atmosphere, she smiled and spoke to both of them.

"We'll do."

Mrs. Shin responded with a gentle smile. Gyeonhui turned his gaze away from her.

"Yes, I hope to finalize the DNBM acquisition quickly before the shareholders' complaints grow."

He had already anticipated what she would say, and he had only poured water in his cup without an answer.

Mrs. Shin checked the time as if she didn't care about his rude response. She wiped her mouth with a napkin.

"I have to leave now. I have an appointment with President Jin."

"Oh, do you have an appointment with my dad today?"

Her eyes widened like a rabbit.

"There's something I have to discuss between us. You guys discuss your matter as well."

Mrs. Shin rose from her seat, spitting out what she had to say.

When Mrs. Shin left, he sighed with disgust and tried to get up from his seat.

"You've just arrived here. Eat something at least before you go."

She smiled.

"I don't want to have any stomach problems. I really don't want to eat anything when I'm uncomfortable."

He turned around and tried to get out.

"I heard that you're trying to take over the DNBM."

"Can you please not worry about it?"

He seemed bothered.

"Aren't you looking for the CEO of DNBM?"

"... I said you have no business in this."

"I do since it's my man's business."

"You're telling me that you're going to do something for this."

He scoffed at her.

"Yes. Actually, I can solve it."

She spoke with confidence.

"What?"

"I know the name of the guy you're looking for. His name is Edward. "

"... How do you…"

"I'm a friend of his. We had seen each other often in the US."

She held her chin with both hands and looked up at him with a fresh smile.

"How about that? Don't I look a little more attractive now?"

It was a charming smile that would steal the heart of any man, but he was only looking down at her with a conflicted expression.

***

Late in the evening, as he entered the parking lot, he stopped walking and sighed deeply.

As he got into the car, Ojae was sleeping in the driver's seat. He opened his eyes and looked back.

"You've come early."

His drowsy voice sparked Gyeonhui's dismay.

"Did you know who was going to come to dinner?"

"Huh? Was Miss Chaekyung there?"

"... Nevermind."

Gyeonhui frowned and stopped Ojae from talking.

He would have said that if he had known about Chakyeong in advance, he would have told him.

It was clear that Mrs. Shin made this happen.

Then, a text message from Chaekyung arrived on his cell phone.

"Think about my suggestion."

"Hah... It's really annoying."

He leaned nervously back in the seat.

The car had already begun to treck down the darkened road. His heart was as dark as the scenery outside the window. Sun was not under his control, and things were twisted in a day. Furthermore, there was such a mess when Chakyeong joined the dinner.

"It's crazy."

He closed his eyes, struggling.

"What about the Kids Fans? Do you really not want to do that?"

Ojae had noticed Gyeonhui was in a bad mood and started speaking carefully.

"... Didn't I tell you not to do it?"

"Yes, but… I think this is the best."

"How many times have you screwed up because of your thoughts, huh?"

Ojae had to shut his mouth because Gyeonhui was right.

"Oh, the traffic signal cuts me off so often."

When the traffic signal turned red, Ojae fumed at it.

He turned his gaze out the window as if he was trying to clear the thoughts in his head and saw the dark scene of the street. Beyond the scene, he saw a café with a wall of glass.

He could see a man and a woman familiar to his eyes as he inadvertently shifted his gaze.

"Cheonsun?"

The man and the woman were Sun and Eunwoo.

Sun buried herself deep in the chair, smiling comfortably.

It was a different smile compared to the tense smile she gave in front of Gyeonhui.

Then, Sun accidentally spilled her coffee while she was talking. Momentarily embarrassed, she tried to get up, but Eunwoo signaled her that it was okay.

He quickly got up from his seat, took the tissue, and wiped the coffee from her clothes.

At that moment, Gyeonhui recalled his past self.

In such a situation, Eunwoo differed so much from Gyeonhui. After all, he would have always gotten angry or would look at her with a cold gaze.

"She smiles..."

She was talking with Eunwoo while smiling at ease, although she had made a mistake.

It was different from the way she felt with Gyeonhui.

"Hah…"

He remembered Terry wagging his tail in front of Ojae.

He was so sure that she could never leave him.

He couldn't get a hold of her for more than three months, but until just a few days ago, that idea remained the same. However, for the first time, the thought began to shake. There was a sense of anxiety in him that Eunwoo might take Gyeonhui's place.

He looked at his knees. Luckily, it was cold coffee. Still, the knee was sore. Because of his sore knee, Gyeonhui glowered, but she remained smiling.

'Animals are just like people. The scar in their hearts lasts longer than they do in their bodies.'

Eunwoo's words came to his mind.

"... The scar in their hearts lasts longer than they do in their bodies?"

Gyeonhui, with a severe face, mocked himself.

"Huh…."

Gyeonhui exhaled a deep sigh before speaking to Ojae in a sinking voice.

"... Go ahead."

"Huh?"

"The Kidz Fan idea that you talked about a while ago. Go ahead."

At his sudden change of mind, Ojae looked at him, surprised. However, he could only look at her with his eyes sinking silently.